Brussels Sprouts Panzanella with Bacon and Fall Fruits

I do marvel at the annual fanfare directed towards the Thanksgiving turkey. The buzz begins in early November as food magazines feature perfectly burnished birds on their covers and home cooks swap recipes on everything from brining to basting. This is all followed by post-Thanksgiving chatter about best ways to use up leftovers and how to turn bones into broth. While I do appreciate a well-prepared Thanksgiving turkey, for me, the meal is more about the side dishes. Hand me a plate of harvest vegetables, mashed potatoes, and stuffing with a decent glass of wine to wash is down and I’m a happy camper.

Those of you who are similarly inclined to focus on the sides may appreciate adding a new one to your repertoire. Today’s roasted Brussels sprouts salad recipe is tailor made for the Thanksgiving table. It’s one I developed in partnership with Sprouts Farmers Market and features ingredients that are undeniably fall in flavor. The finished dish is pretty enough to earn space on a special occasion table, but would be equally at home for an everyday supper.

A Different Kind of Panzanella

If you’re unfamiliar with panzanella, let me fill you in. It’s an Italian tomato and bread salad that often includes cucumbers, basil, and cheese along with a generous pour of olive oil. This version is a distant cousin to the classic, involving the requisite toasted bread, vegetables, and olive oil, but with little else in common.

You begin by pulling out two sheet pans. Pile the Brussels sprouts on one and bacon and bread on another. Into the oven it goes at a temperature hot enough to get an appealing crisp on the ingredients. Then, toss it with apples, persimmons, and Parmesan, pile it onto a platter and finish with a drizzle of Sprouts Organic Balsamic Glaze. Yum!

A Few Tips

If you plan to serve this for Thanksgiving, know that it’s best while still warm, but remains tasty at room temperature. You can prep and cook everything but the Brussels sprouts in advance (keeping the various ingredients separate until the last minute). Then, roast the Brussels just before serving and toss everything together. While it typically serves six, if you’re doing a big Thanksgiving spread with multiple sides, that number will stretch to 8 or even more. It can also be easily doubled.

Instructions

Preheat over to 425 degrees F.

Trim off the ends of the Brussels sprouts and cut in half through the stem. Pile onto a large baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt, and a generous amount of black pepper. Toss well, spread out on the pan.

Tear the bread slices into ½-inch pieces. Tear enough bread to fill 2 heaping cups. Pile the bread onto a second large baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, add 1 big pinch of salt, and toss together. Spread over one half of the baking sheet. Lay the bacon slices on the opposite end of the baking sheet (keep the bacon quite separate from the bread).

Put both baking sheets into the oven. After about 12 minutes, when the bread is lightly brown, remove that pan from the oven, being careful that the bacon grease doesn’t drift onto the bread. Transfer the bread to a large plate or medium platter. Return the bacon to the oven and continue to cook until brown and crisp, another 10 minutes or so. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel. Shuffle the Brussels sprouts on the pan and continue to cook another 8 minutes or so until tender and caramelized (total cooking time for the Brussels sprouts is about 30 minutes). Remove from the oven.

Chop the bacon into small pieces and add to the toasted bread along with the scallions, apple, persimmons, Parmesan, and Brussels sprouts. Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss well, taste, and add more salt or lemon as desired. Lighly drizzle the top of the salad with the balsamic glaze. Serve.